Soulbound
by CeruleanIce
Summary: Hermione Granger was supposed to have been his. She was supposed to have been his, not Draco sodding Malfoy's. She couldn't be soul-bound to the ferret for the rest of eternity. This wasn't the way it was meant to have happened; they said she would have been his. He had done everything they had to... REVAMPED. AU from canon, Dumbledore and Weasley bashing in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

**Authors note: Un-beta'd. I am so very sorry that i haven't updated this story in a year. It started with life just flashing by, and then writers block. I tried more than once to update but found that I had just lost the inspiration to finish this story. I am finally back, and hope to go back to updating frequently. As you will see, I have changed the direction of the story somewhat.I hope you enjoy this kind of new and hopefully improved version.**

 **Thank you to any readers that decide to leave a positive review after viewing this story. If you do not like, do not read. Kindly do not leave flames on my review panel. While I enjoy the opinions of others, I will not tolerate being insulted or belittled. Constructive feedback is appreciated.**

 **Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all rights associated with this franchise belong to J.K. Rowling. I just enjoy playing with the plot lines and satisfying blot bunnies.**

 **Prologue**

Hermione Granger was supposed to have been his. She was supposed to have been his, not Draco _sodding_ Malfoy's. She couldn't be soul-bound to the ferret for the rest of eternity. This wasn't the way it was meant to have happened; they said she would have been his. He had done everything they had told him to, it should have worked.

She would be his; no matter what he had to do, he would make sure of that.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: For some odd reason it will not let me put Rowling's name in the disclaimers for the chapters. It appears during the editing process but is somehow lost when I publish the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it.**

 **Chapter Two**

Morning dawned bright and early over the viridescent mountains of Scotland. The day had begun like any other at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. House-elves vigorously cleaning away the last vestiges of the previous day's activity before the inhabitants of the magical castle were woken from their slumbers. The castles unique magic strengthening its wards to prevent excess bouts of accidental magic.

It had been a normal day…before it all went to hell.

Hermione's day had started like all the others this year. She had awoken as the first rays of yellow light gradually made their way over the peaks of the Scottish mountains. Her Head Girl suite, hidden away from the inquisitive occupants of the House dormitories, overlooked the great Black Lake. The rays, shimmering off of the smooth undisturbed body of water, were her daily introduction to the rise of a new day.

Her morning routine was simple. Wake up, wash, dress, brush her teeth for exactly two minutes and thirty seconds, and then read even further ahead in all of her subjects so that she was armed with knowledge that would only be needed several weeks from the present. It always paid off to be prepared; who knew what could happen in the blink of an eye. That was her experienced opinion. She did live in a world filled to the brim with magic after all. One never quite knew what was around the next corner.

Although she would be hard-pressed to ever admit it to anyone she knew, she did occasionally indulge in the unknown urge to sing. This activity usually occurred while she was taking her morning wash, be it in the shower or bath. She was not vain, not by any stretch of the imagination, but Hermione was almost positive that she had a relatively pleasant singing voice. Not that anyone would ever be privy to this information.

"Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,

Lavender's green

When you are king, dilly dilly,

I shall be queen…", she hummed quietly to herself. It was her best-loved verse of the song.

The lullaby was a childhood favourite of hers, always sung to her by her mother's clear soprano voice; while she was still young enough to believe in fairytales. While she would never be on par with the level of excellence that was her mother, she had to admit; the acoustics in her bathroom were rather spectacular; and did their job in aiding her with hitting the notes normally outside of her range.

She now wished that she had loitered around while completing her routine; even if the act did go against her sensibilities. Maybe then she wouldn't have landed face first in the mess that was now her life.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I apologise for any errors there may be in this story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it.**

 **Chapter 3**

She was one of the first occupants in the Great Hall that morning. The sun having barely just risen meant that few students would be enjoying the very first course of breakfast foods that had been spread across the four house tables. Her friends teased her for her petite appetite in their presence; but it was not her fault if they were not capable of rising early like she did and eating their weight in food before there were any witnesses in the hall to see it. In fact, she had a very healthy appetite. It was not her fault that her friends were incapable of rising early to witness her eating like any other average teenager. And anyway, she reasoned to herself; she worked off any excess fat gained from over food consumption, hiking up those damn never-ending stairs. Magical they may be, but small they were not. Whoever had thought to place the sleeping quarters so many floors above had to have had a few screws loose in the head. Perhaps due to a few stray spells to the head, she mused.

Or maybe just sheer foolishness. Yes, that sounded more plausible to her.

Whatever the reason, it was a large inconvenience to all of the inhabitants of the castle; staff included. Tradition had to be kept however; the board of governors were adamant about that fact. At least some muggles knew the consequences of inbreeding and the consequences of clinging to archaic ideals. She couldn't say the same thing about Purebloods.

Well…most Purebloods.

Her only other partner in crime today seemed to be on the other side of the vast hall; at the Slytherin table. The King of Purebloods himself, Draco Malfoy. She ignored the sliver of her brain that ached for her to be his Queen.

It was not the first time that they had been the only two in the Great Hall. It was early; and not many of their fellow students rejoiced in waking up with the sun. He enjoyed doing the exact same thing she did; gorging oneself with food while there were no witnesses to later provide ridicule. They had come to a silent agreement and truce with one another while in public…At least for this brief period of time during the dawn of the day, before the rest of the world could catch up to them. Why waste the time hurling meaningless insults at one another when there were no witnesses; and they could rather enjoy their breakfasts in peaceful solitude?

They had many things in common, when you stood back from the situation and viewed it from an outside perspective. They didn't need to fight. They could exist together in harmony without the clashing of intelligence. But only when alone.

She was drawn from her thoughts by the presence behind her. The fine hair gracing the arch of her neck stiffening in excitement from the gust of air blown over it. The flesh of her arms puckering into goosebumps.

"You tell them…or I will…", he whispered; the words uttered against the baby-soft skin of her ear.

 **A/N: Sorry for the cliffies :P I seem to have developed a fondness for them. I blame the series how to get away with murder. That series provides information in very very small bite-sized pieces. Will be trying to update as often as possible.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So as you can see from my first authors note, I have decided to change the direction of this story. I hope that this decision does not lose me my dear readers. However, I feel that this will be a better direction for the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it.**

 **Chapter 4**

She spent the rest of the day in a state of irritation. She had hoped to have an enjoyable day, to attend today's classes, and then spend the remainder of the afternoon under the hanging willow at the edge of the lake; finishing her assignments. His threat at breakfast had frazzled her nerves the entire day, and as such; she had not been paying attention in any of her lessons. While it was not the end of the world if her attention strayed slightly in any of her other classes; she had lost her mind during potions.

Potions, where attention to detail was needed if you did not want to blow up the entire castle…which she almost had, had it not been for Professor Snape's hawk like gaze catching her miscalculation. He had prevented her from adding an ingredient that would have resulted in her cauldron exploding, which would have taken half of the dungeon - and the occupants of the Potions classroom – with it. What she had been left with was a four hour detention with Snape, scouring the muck off of thirty cauldrons by hand…without magic; while he sat at his desk and watched her.

It would take her days to be able to remove the feeling of filth from her skin. She had already scrubbed herself raw, to little avail.

She was ready to explode herself; by the time she reached the portrait that stood guard before the Head dorms. She spared a brief half-hearted smile towards the Veela princess that adorned the moving portrait before giving the password that would allow her to enter the safety of the dorms.

"Phoenix"

The portrait swung closed behind her frozen form. The Head Boy was sprawled across the sofa in the living room that they shared, his face smooth in sleep. He must have been trying to wait up for her. How sweet…

"Levicorpus!", his shout of confusion as he was dragged into the air upside-down amused her greatly. She twitched her wand higher and his form drifted further towards the ceiling. She was tempted to just let him drop from that height but was not in the mood to explain to Madame Pomfrey the circumstances that would have occurred for the Head Boy to have broken his neck. While the nurse was no doubt used to such injuries; she was not in the mood, nor the frame of mind, to have to fabricate a story that did not make her out as stark raving mad.

She had been planning to screech at him, to shout until her voice gave out. But now that he was hanging in front of her, his white-blonde hair falling from behind his ears to obscure his quicksilver cerulean orbs; she found her anger suddenly draining out of her, the plug keeping her emotions at bay dissolving.

"I almost blew us all up today. If it hadn't been for Severus, all of us would have painted the stone walls red. And all because you decided this morning would be the right day to threaten me! I may be yours Draco, but I told you that I needed time to figure out how to tell them the truth! Why are you pushing so hard for me to tell everyone that we're betrothed? You know they won't understand yet. They aren't even aware that I'm not a muggleborn yet! Why Draco?

His silvery blue gaze met hers imploringly.

"Because I love you. And I want the entire world to know that the most incredible witch in this universe is going to be my wife. Is that so difficult to understand?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Slight Dumbledore bashing in later chapters**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it.**

 **Chapter 5**

The portrait behind her slammed, almost drowning out the horrified cries of outrage that accompanied Draco's confession…almost.

"YOU'RE MARRYING MALFOY?!"

"YOU'RE MARRYING THE SLIMY GIT?!"

She cringed, her panicked eyes once again meeting Draco's across the room. She knew without turning to look at them, who they were. Her friends - one of which was her best friend - were standing behind her. They were standing behind her and had heard some of the exact information that she had just told Draco she was not ready to divulge to them yet. Fuck.

Harry, who occasionally could be the voice of reason, spoke first.

"Hermione what's going on? We came to check on you to see how your detention with Snape went. The portrait let us in when we told her that we were your best friends and just wanted to make sure that you were alright. What's this Malfoy's saying about you being his wife?!"

She looked towards her betrothed for guidance but found his expression vacant of any sympathy towards her. "You can tell them, or I will.", was his only reply to the pleading in her molten chocolate coloured eyes. It was an exact copy of his utterance at breakfast.

She did not appreciate being threatened now any more than she had that morning. She may have been; and would continue to be for the rest of eternity, soulbound to him. But that did not mean that he wasn't still an evil little ferret sometimes. A ferret that she would willingly smash against the stone walls of the castle if she was given the opportunity. She loved him, the gods knew she loved him; but sometimes he could be a right fucking bastard. None of this would ever have happened if not for his threat at breakfast. She would not have been distracted all day, would not have nearly blown up the potions class, definitely would not have been given a detention, and would not now be standing in the middle of the Head Dorm's living room struggling to find a way to explain everything to Harry and Ron. She had no choice but to tell them now.

"First of all; Harry, it's Professor Snape. Secondly, I think you both should sit down…please?"

Glancing at Ron; whose face was gradually turning puce from lack of oxygen, she quickly added

"Please just sit, I promise I'll explain everything".

Well…at least everything she was capable of saying with Ron in the room. There were some pieces of information that were not hers to share, and others that she herself did not want Ronald knowing. She would have to wait until he predictively left during the tantrum he would no doubt throw in a few minutes; before she would be able to tell Harry the additional details that she was about to purposefully leave out. They sat, all the while dubiously watching Draco's movements. She directed her harshest glare towards them as she took a seat across from their chairs.

"Leave him out of this. He's done nothing wrong"

They waited while she gathered her thoughts into order; although far from patiently. She took a deep breathe to calm her fraying nerves before beginning.

"Let me start off by saying that I was not born Hermione Jean Granger, muggleborn daughter to two dentist parents. I was born to an ancient Pureblood family that named me Hermione Ariana. As an only child to a family of wealth, I was brought up with everything I could ever want. I was spoilt, but at the same time, was taught the value of money. I knew that money could disappear in an instance. That one could lose it all without warning. I had a happy childhood, with more love than a child could ever wish for. I knew that not everyone was as happy as me. Everything had changed at the end of the first war; and while the Dark Lord was gone, the world around us was still not safe. It never has been…

My parents decided before my birth that for my own safety - least I be targeted - I would attend Hogwarts as Hermione Granger. I would be an average muggleborn from a medium-class home, and therefore not a person of interest. An ancient archaic spell later, and the Hogwarts registry had been changed, no one none the wiser. It was, and still is, for my protection.

Draco and I were introduced while we were still children. Our parents agreed upon a magical betrothal, as is usually expected within old Pureblood families. We grew to deeply love one another. It wasn't difficult with the presence of the soul bond that was formed during the initial stages of the betrothal. We can never be parted from each other nor stray from our commitment to one another. Our souls are bound for the rest of eternity, even through to the afterlife. We love each other. And once we've graduated, we will officially be husband and wife. I know that this is a lot to take in. For my sake, if you have ever been my friends, try to accept this…", she trailed off, her gaze pleading them to understand.

Not to her surprise, it was Ron that erupted.

"What the hell is this Hermione? Some kind of sick joke? You can't be a Pureblood, it's not possible. You're lying, there's no way. We've even met your parents. And betrothed to the ferret, in love. You must have gone bonkers. Harry...Harry! We need to get Madame Promfrey, they have to have cursed her or something. Harry are you listening? We need to go!"

Harry stared intently at her, his head tilted slightly to the right,

"You look happy. And not an "I'm faking this love story to appease you" or "I'm cursed kind of happy", but actual happy. I can't begrudge you the chance to be happy with someone you love so intensely, no matter how much I might want to."

Ron gurgled in the background as he choked on his own spit

"What the fuck Harry! Have you gone bonkers too? I'm getting Madame Promfrey. You're going to pay for this ferret. I don't know what you've done to them but you and your Deatheater family are going to pay."

All three of them watched silently as Ron stormed out of the room, the portrait slamming closed behind him as he took off in a sprint down the corridor.

Harry looked back at her as soon as the portrait stopped quivering from the impact.

"I think we all saw that happening, no matter how we found out. This is Ron we're talking about", he chuckled softly.

"There's something I didn't tell you Harry…", Hermione said softly as she gazed into the bright green orbs that were his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Just to clear some things up now so that there's no confusion later. This is set before the battle. Dumbledore is alive. Sirius is dead. Remus and Tonks are alive, as are all of the Weasleys. I have decided that there will actually be Weasley bashing in this story as I have changed the plot,again. There will still be Dumbledore bashing however. Also Harry was never a horcrux.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it.**

 **Chapter 6**

"Harry…everything you know is a lie. What I'm about to tell you sounds so beyond reason that you'll want to believe that it's not true, but it is." She had to try and start this from the very beginning, and in a way that he would understand.

"What is it Hermione?"

"Do you remember those half-hearted lessons in Legilimency that you had with Professor Snape? You came back and told us everything that you had seen in your brief time trespassing through his mental barriers. Keep everything you saw in mind with what I'm about to tell you…

Harry…James Potter is not, and never was, your father. Many years before you were born, Severus Snape made a mistake that almost cost him the friendship of his best friend, Lily Evans. If he had not succeeded in winning her over, then everything you know would have happened. It did not. Instead they married in a brief, small ceremony with only the minimum amount of witnesses required in attendance. They loved one another deeply, and they had you. And then there was a prophecy…but not the one you think you know. They were in danger, so they hid. Severus was out that night, not even that far away, when Lily let someone in that she shouldn't have. Upon his return; he found his beloved wife dead among the remains of your nursery, your growing sister still within her cold body, and you; his only son, gone. James Potter had fooled everyone, and so everyone thought that Lily had been his wife, and you their son. He died with her, and so his secret was never revealed publically. Only a select few ever knew of his deception. Dumbledore was aware of the nature of Severus's relationship with Lily, so he knew of the events that unfolded that night. He removed any evidence from the scene that would have ruined James's story. He obliviated Severus and placed fake memories within his mind. He did not realise at the time that in his haste to change everything, he did not actually obliviate Severus correctly. Instead, the memories were merely hidden temporarily within his mind for several years; until the weak charm eventually broke from strain.

You were stolen, and given to those awful muggles to keep you "safe". It was all a part of the ruse that Dumbledore had created. Lord Voldemort never existed except in name Harry. He did not kill your mother, nor has he done half of what has been attached to that name. Those are all just lies that Dumbledore has made up to conceal the actual villain in all of the stories.

Him.

All he has ever done is lie. He hides behind his great grandfather act and fools all those that refuse to see his hunger for power shinning brightly in his eyes. Tom Riddle never wanted to murder all muggleborns. He wanted to better educate them on the consequences that their presence in our world brought. Most muggleborn students do not remain in the magical world after graduation; you see. They return to what they consider more their world as they feel that they are not properly accepted in ours. They do not know that they have options; that they have prospects should they wish to take them. Because they are never told. And so our magical sources become depleted because they're wasted on uneducated witches and wizards. He just wanted to provide them with the knowledge they needed, so that we could continue to keep our traditions. But instead the old traditions and customs are lost to time as they are viewed as old-fashioned and archaic by those that do not understand the meaning or importance behind the rituals. Tom was not the one that wanted to annihilate the population. Dumbledore was. You would never guess how much he hates muggles from his outward appearance. They're the reason his sister's mental stability was destroyed, and therefore the reason for her death; at least in his opinion. So he made up lies, and dragged an old Pureblood family's name through the dirt; metaphorically speaking. Tom Marvolo Riddle was never a Halfblood. The Riddle's were a Pureblood family. His marriage to Tom's mother was based on real love, not a potion. It was all lies, to make him look like the Lord of darkness.

He isn't a bad man. All magic can be used for a darker purpose. He just happens to use magic that Dumbledore has cast the dark magic stigmatism onto. Dumbledore pretends to be the saviour of our kind, but he is actually hindering us and annihilating our population.

He robbed you of your childhood, and your father of his family. Everything that has happened since we arrived at Hogwarts at age eleven has not been Tom's doing. It was all a part of Dumble's master plan. To rid the world of the two men more powerful than him.

You…and my father…" she stopped, she could sense that she was losing him to the alternate realities playing within his mind. Fuck maybe she had told him it all too fast. But dammit! They were running out of time, and her and her father needed his support to dethrone Albus once and for all.

 **Harry**

" _Just like your father"_

" _Yes but he thinks it's her son" Not said to Dumbledore as he had assumed but to a dark-haired, pale-skinned handsome man that he recognised as Tom Riddle._

" _Hide her, hide them all" To the same dark-haired man_

" _You said you would keep her safe" To Dumbledore, once his memories resurfaced; so that he could continue the ruse and be able to be near his son._

" _You have your mother's eyes"_

" _If you truly loved her"_

" _No one can know"_

" _His arrogance rivals that even of his father"_

" _Lily…after all this time"_

" _Always"_

How. How could it have all have been a lie. How could Dumbledore have done this. He knew that Dumbledore would occasionally work within a certain grey area if he thought it was for the good of everyone…but this…this far surpassed the greater good. This was evil.

His father…his father was alive.

Riddle was Hermione's father.

His eyes rolled back into his head as he passed out.

 **Hermione**

"Harry?!Harry!"

"Draco call Severus!"

 **A/N: Dum dum dum…**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: New chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it.**

 **Chapter 7**

Her blood pumped through her veins as she launched herself towards the chair that Harry had slid off of as he lost consciousness. She eased him into a more comfortable position on the floor, gently lifting his head to place a cushion she had grabbed from the armchair underneath it.

While she had marginally anticipated this happening once he found out, she really wished that he had stayed conscious. Now that Ron knew about her and Draco, it wouldn't be long before the entire castle knew about it too. She did not terribly care about her and Draco's relationship getting out. While that part would cause quite a stir and possibly create some minor problems, her main concern at this moment was the other piece of information that Ron would no doubt be flinging around the castle as he travelled to the infirmary or Dumbledore's office; her perhaps unknown parentage.

They hadn't planned on that secret being divulged yet. Her being a Pureblood was not that much of a big deal. However the lengths that had been taken to prevent this fact from coming to light were. Dumbledore would not just overlook this as a case of overprotective parents wanting to safeguard their child. If he dug, he would find the inconsistencies that had been made accidently over the years. All of them had made stupid mistakes in the past that could have cost them all dearly. They had cemented over all of them as well as they were able to at the time.

They had needed more time on the inside; collecting information that would incriminate Albus. It did their cause no help for her convenient cover to be blown at this moment. Although she was irked at Draco for having caused this entire situation, she understood perfectly well how he had been feeling about their public indifference towards each other. It had begun to take its toll on her too. It went against every fibre of their bond to pretend that the other did not exist. Years of forced pretend hate had made their connection ache in anguish.

She glanced towards the antique clock that stood next to the door; briefly watching the back and forth sway of the pendulum before raking her eyes higher to read the time. They had perhaps thirty minutes before they would all have to seemingly disappear from within the castle. She knew that she could count on a few of her trusted friends to find a way to stall Ron; and provide everyone with the time needed to vanish. There had been an escape plan in place for months in the event of something like this. It would have saved time for her to have woken Harry up herself; but she needed Severus's presence to rush the upcoming discussion along. They would not have time to explain everything that had happened over the last twenty years in the span of twenty minutes; no matter how fast she was able to talk.

Hermione watched as the clock ticked, the seconds turning into minutes. She knew that Draco would be back with Severus momentarily. There was little time to waste. Harry had to be revived, the situation briefly explained, and belongings hastily packed. For her, Draco, and Severus; there was little that still had to be removed from their quarters. Their personal possessions had been removed slowly over the past weeks; so as not to create suspicion. While their rooms were all spelled against intrusion or surveillance; the spells themselves did not ward off house elves. House elf magic had a mind of its own, its own set of rules and quirks. And they all knew too well where the loyalties of the Hogwarts house elves lay. They hadn't known when they would have to leave, only that they would need to be ready when they did.

She let out a sigh of relief as the portrait swung open to reveal Severus and Draco. Hermione could tell by the expression on Draco's face that he had most probably been mildly scolded by his godfather during the journey back to the Head Dorms. She couldn't blame Severus. If Draco hadn't been her mate she would have been busy scolding him at this very moment too.

Concern flashed through the midnight eyes that had been surveying the room for possible sources of danger.

"What happened?"

"I told him the truth. Well at least as much as I could before it was too much for his brain to process. A simple rennervate should be more than sufficient. I would have done it myself if I thought it would be quicker to explain the edited version of our plans from here without your presence. Unfortunately Ronald Weasley is, at this very moment no doubt ruining my Muggleborn cover. We don't have much time left before there will be attempted interference from the other Professors."

Severus nodded at her in agreement before placing his wand at the temple of his sons head.

"Rennervate…"

Harry's eyelids fluttered, and he groaned as he begun to regain consciousness. He blinked drowsily towards the ceiling before glancing around at his surroundings; jolting up into a seated position as his mental faculties returned.

Hermione watched as he stared at Severus, emerald eyes boring into onyx ones.

"Is it true?"

A soft but resigned sigh.

"Yes…"

She saw as the fight left his body, his arm bracing itself against his knee while his head fell forward to rest against the palm of his hand. His fingers twitched in a repetitive manner against the raised skin of his scar. It was a quirk of his; she knew from years of experience, a gesture to calm himself and aid him in recentring his equilibrium.

At any other time, she would have left him in peace to process the information.

She didn't have that luxury right now.

"Harry I know this has been a lot to tell you all at once. But I need you to listen to me right now. I know we all should have told you the truth a long time ago. We wanted to, more than anything; you have to believe that.

Dumbledore has created every obstacle he could have thought of over the years to prevent anyone from being able to steal his weapon…you. Everybody has tried something over the years to attempt to rectify this entire situation. Every time that we would get close he would sabotage the entire operation somehow. I am still baffled at how our covers remained intact until today. Dumbles really is an old fool. But now is not the time to be talking about this.

Harry, as your friend since we were eleven, I need you to trust me okay? Can you do that?"

He lifted his head to look her in the eye.

"Of course I trust you Hermione, you are the only true friend I've ever had; the only one that has never left my side throughout the years. I love Ron, but we both know that when it matters; he isn't there."

Hermione leant in to hug him fiercely. She had worried that as the years passed he would find it harder to forgive her for not telling him the truth. She thanked merlin and all of the many gods for not taking away one of her best friends.

She let him go when she felt hands gripping onto her shoulders. Draco.

"We don't have much time, maybe another fifteen minutes; before our friends' stalling tactics will no longer be effective. We need to go over the plan Mia"

She sighed deeply, bracing herself for the whirlwind that would be the next half hour. She let herself reach for the bond inside her for a moment, infusing it with warmth and love. She relaxed as the sentiment was returned, strength flowing through her as Draco sent his own magic back at her.

"Okay, so this is the plan…"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I have so many different story ideas running through my head at the moment that it is actually quite difficult to sit down and commit to writing a chapter for one individual fandom. Can't wait to be able to get all of my ideas down on paper. Long chapter :D**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it.**

 **Chapter 8**

"Okay, so this is the plan…"

"Harry I am addressing this to you as the three of us already know this plan back to front. We are depending on you to follow it step by step. Once we are finished here, you need to run to Griffindor tower as fast as you are able to without being caught. Pack everything that belongs to you into your trunk, then shrink it so that it can fit into your pocket. You need to make it look like there's been a struggle; knock some things around, rip sheets, leave a little bit of blood in a spot that is easily visible. For now, it needs to look like you did not leave voluntarily.

There will be no one else in the tower at this time; they should all be heading to the Great Hall for dinner. You need to be in and out Harry, you cannot waste a single minute. Any delays, and we risk the entire escape failing. Now; once you're done, put your cloak on and use the map to meet us on the eighth floor. We'll be next to the portrait of King Arthur. Together we'll move to the seventh. Harry, if we are not on the eighth floor in ten minutes, you go to the seventh floor and you go into the room of requirement by without us. Do you hear me? If we are not there, you go, and you do not look back. Harry, you have to promise me that if all else fails; you will get out."

She could see the indecision clouding his face as he fought with the idea of leaving her behind. He sighed in resignation as he saw her watching him expectantly.

"I promise Hermione, no matter what happens; I'll go into that room."

"Good, now we need to go."

She walked to the door before withdrawing her wand.

"Homenum Revelio"

She glanced through the now one way invisible door before turning back to face the room.

"It's clear, both of you; go quickly."

Hermione stood back while Severus and Harry hurried out of the Head Dorms. She hastily shut it behind them before looking at Draco. He stepped towards her, clasping her hand in his and squeezing it tight in reassurance.

"Let's go Mia"

She kissed him briefly on the mouth before they both rushed up the stone staircase that led to both of their rooms. While hers was mostly a decoy room that was made to look slept in, a few of her belongings were still in there. They separated in the corridor that separated the two rooms, letting go of each other's hands.

She was calm as she stood in the middle of the room. She knew that for their plan to work successfully, they had to remain calm. Working oneself into a frenzy only made a situation worse; forcing your brain to shut down and forget things as panic set it. Therefore; she was calm as she moved her wand in an arc around the room

"Pack"

Hermione stood still as her belongings floated into the air before flying towards and into her open bags. Within seconds all of her personal touches to the room had been removed. It was as if no one had even lived in this room recently. It looked exactly as it had before her and Draco had moved in. Perfect. She shrunk her bags before sliding them into the pocket of her robes.

She met Draco at the base of the staircase less than three minutes after they had just ascended them. Before opening the portrait hole, she once again looked through to check that there were no witnesses outside before both her and Draco cast the disillusionment charm on themselves. It wasn't as effective as Harry's invisibility cloak, but it would have to do. The Head Dorms were on the twelfth floor, Griffindor tower on the tenth. The extra time they would take navigating the extra too floors would be the extra time Harry needed to fake the scene in his dorm room. She silenced their feet and cancelled the charm on the door before they both snuck out into the corridor. She looked back as the portrait clicked shut behind them, smiling in return as the Veela princess grinned mischievously at her almost invisible form before winking. They steadily made their way towards the sixth floor, not a soul in sight. The candles flickered in their brackets as they passed, the amber flames casting life-like shadows across the stone walls. They had made it to the ninth floor without incident before they heard the sounds of footsteps tapping against the cobbled floors ahead of them.

Draco grabbed her forearm as he pulled them both against the wall, the spell allowing them to blend in with the tapestry behind their backs. They were silent as two third year Griffindor girls passed by them, their attention elsewhere as they discussed the apparent perks of dating fifth year boys.

"The naivety of youth…", Hermione whispered as soon as the girls had turned the corner. "Their only worry; gaining the attention of a boy."

"You know better than anyone that that does not apply to all girls of their age", Draco whispered back at her as he pulled her back into the middle of the corridor. They would have to hurry now, those girls had been heading back towards the tower, which meant that others could also already be finished with dinner; also heading back towards their respective dormitories. They increased their pace, making it to the meeting spot on the eighth floor without any further incidences. They hid in a dark alcove a few meters away from the patch of blank wall that shielded the room, before cancelling the disillusionment charm. She clasped the wizard-made watch that hung on a chain around her neck, between her fingers. Nine minutes. They had one more minute before the others would be late. Hermione watched as the seconds ticked by, her imagination providing the tick tick tick that the magical watch silenced. At ten seconds to go she let it drop back down to hang against her chest, looking up to watch her surroundings for any sign of the others. She would have startled at the almost silent rustling to her left had she not been expecting it.

"Any longer and he will be late"

"I just hope he wasn't caught Severus", she replied quietly.

Hermione had just started to worry three minutes later, when she heard the highly muffled sound of footsteps that she knew the cloak created when ones feet were not silenced. Harry's head popped into existence in front of her as he let the cloak drop down onto his shoulders.

"I know I'm late. I had to wait for these young girls to move out of the portrait hole. They were just standing in the middle of it chatting!"

"Probably the same girls we ran into too. Let's get inside before somebody else comes."

She glanced both ways before stepping before the wall. She paced in front of it, being careful of her wording as she thought about what she wanted.

 _I need somewhere safe to hide; away from the traitorous master. I need a place to keep me hidden, a place with an exit. A place that will not betray us to any other than those that are true trusted friends._

She stopped as they watched the door forge itself into the wall. She grinned briefly at them before ushering them though the opening. The hole sealed itself again as she closed the door behind herself. Hermione took in the room around her. It looked the same as it had the last time she had been in here with Draco to assess the safety of the room against the people they did not want finding them. It was large; similar to the living room at home, with comfortable looking armchairs littered strategically across the room. A fire was lit in the centre of the room, its heat already tangible in the air. She let herself drag her feet across the thick rug that carpeted almost the entire room, its fibres protecting against the harsh chill of the stone underneath. While it was summer in Scotland, the castle could get awfully cold during the dark of night.

Hermione waited until they were all comfortably seated before she started talking. She let herself relax into the warmth of Draco's arms.

"We'll be safe here. The room won't let anyone in that we don't want it to. We need to stay here for a few days, lie low. With chaos out there not all of our friends will be able to get to us right now. There are rooms through that door there. If you need anything else, just ask. We put some non-perishable foods in here a few days ago, so we'll just have to survive on that until they get here. Otherwise, get comfortable."

She rested her head in the crook of his neck, her eyes closing as her hand rested on the area of skin on his chest that was above his heart. It beat steadily, a reassuring vibration against her fingertips.

"You did it Mia, all four of us are alive and safe for now."

"For now, yes. But what about the others Draco? They still need to get out too. Anything could go wrong."

"My Mia, for now; we must take comfort in the fact that neither of us has been taken, and that we have gained a small achievement in removing Harry from the situation. Rest my love, we need your brilliant mind working fully when it is time to leave."

Their quiet conversation was interrupted as the sound of a chair scraping against stone filled the room. Her eyes flickered open. Harry was getting up, moving towards the four-seater that Severus was currently lounging on. She wanted to see where this was going.

 ** _Elsewhere in the castle – Ten minutes earlier, unknown POV_**

"You better hit the right fucking spot", she hissed at him as he held her close to him.

"Shut up and let me work baby", he snarled back into her ear.

She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood as the needle sunk into the delicate skin of her neck. She could feel as the potion begun to make its way through her bloodstream. She hoped like hell that this worked. They had already had to use the muggle method of using a needle to insure that the concoction would have the ultimate effect when the time came.

She flipped her hair over her shoulder as she moved backwards away from him.

"See you later baby", she winked at him as she spun around; flouncing out of the darkened alcove and skipping through the door of the great hall.

He grinned wickedly before fading back into the shadows, a fleeting flash of candlelight glinting off the mask covering his face before he disappeared.

 ** _The Great Hall_**

The hall was filled with the sounds of chatter. From one side of the hall to the other; students sat in groups, conversing with their friends as they consumed the feast that lay before them. Troughs upon troughs of decadently cooked food burdened the wooden house tables. While all was well within the minds of a majority of the inhabitants, there was unease at the Head table. The professors were baffled by the strange set of events that they had just witnessed. Madame Pomfrey had only moments before; come rushing through the door behind the table at which the professors sat with an angry looking Ronald Weasley trailing behind her. She had whispered urgently into the Headmasters ear before the three of them had rushed back through the same door that she had entered by. And while it was not strange for Professor Snape to occasionally miss dinner due to one unstable potion or another, they had expected him in the hall tonight. It was all so very strange…

Their musings were interrupted by a loud explosion. The heavy oak doors of the Great Hall blasted inwards as they were hit with the curse. Students screamed as they dived underneath the tables to protect themselves from flying debris. They cowered even further when they saw who was standing in the rubble that was now the door.

A black robed person stood there, their face covered with a snake like mask. Ginny Weasley was in the persons arms, their wand held at her throat. She had been sitting at the end of the table, one of the closest to the door. A chuckle echoed through the room as the Professors ran into an invisible barrier, stopping them from reaching her.

"You're too late. Now you all get to watch while she suffers for your incompetence."

"You will not get away with this", she spat towards the mask.

"Oh I will…AVADA KEDAVRA!", the shout travelled through the room as green light blinded all of those within.

Students screamed as Ginny's body slumped, their panic growing stronger as her body was dragged out of the doorway.

"You'll see me again, don't worry…"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hope everyone liked the previous chapter. I really do appreciate those that have left reviews. I am so very glad that people are enjoying my writing and plotline. Most of this chapter will just be the history about Severus's relationship with Lily.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it.**

 **Chapter 9**

 ** _Room of requirement_**

Hermione and Draco remained still as Harry crossed the room. He stopped in front of Severus before dropping down next to him with a heavy sigh.

"Tell me what happened. I need to hear it from you…please. I need to know what happened."

Severus's eyes clenched shut before flickering open to look at his son. He sat quietly for a moment, before he began to talk.

"I met your mother while we were still children. We lived in the same town, although we were separated by different neighbourhoods. She lived in the better side of town; the safer, richer side. We were children, we didn't see the politics. There was a park; equidistant from both of our dwellings, that we both occasionally played in. At the beginning, I left her be. I was the pariah, the scum that no parents would allow their children to play with. Lily was content with her sister, her friends. I continued to watch her though. She was muggleborn, and therefore did not recognise the signs of accidental magic. I did.

The years had drained my mother of any will left to fight. She did not stop him when he beat her, or me. A Pureblood witch by birth, she had allowed him to destroy her. Her family had abandoned her, her initially loving muggle husband beating the magic out of her; until it eventually retreated inwards. I do not know whether or not she loved me, but I do know that she cared enough to risk his wrath by teaching me all that she was able to about magic. In her weakened state, she was only capable of telling me the theory that lay behind of the magic. I had to learn to control it myself.

This knowledge allowed me to keep track of Lily. I thought of myself as her protector, the person in the shadows that made sure that she would come to no harm. Her magic was still innocent, its bursts benevolent. The others around her believed the incidences were just coincidences, strange things that could not be explained but were ignored so as not to question ones sanity. I believe I was three when my magic showed itself. She was seven when hers begun to manifest. It was only when we were nine that Lily's magic started to change. In the two years since it had showed itself, her emotional range had increased. At nine years old, she was now aware of and capable of showing many emotions that she had never expressed before. Now Harry, you know how important emotion is when it concerns ones magic. Our emotions, to a very large extent; controls our magic.

Feelings like fear, and anger; these emotions can direct your magic. This is the time when ones accidental magic tends to burst out of them more frequently. These bursts scared Lily; and the more frightened she became, the stronger her magic got. I finally intervened one day at the park. Petunia had run off after calling her a freak. Lily had been creating sand thermals, sending them into the sky, when her sister had lashed out at her in fear. With no one else there, I was able to approach her without anyone telling me to go away. She didn't trust me at first. She didn't believe what I was telling her. It went against everything that they preached about in the church. Most of the town was religious, and the churches ideals had been drilled into her at school.

She eventually came round. Her magic had continued to burst out of her, and she was worried that others would begin to notice. As I taught her, we became friends. By the time our Hogwarts letters arrived, we were inseparable.

I had thought that being away from home, away from children who bullied me just because of where I lived, that things would be different. That first train ride showed me differently. I had just traded in one set of bullies for another. I had done nothing, I had merely been sitting with Lily in a compartment. From the second James Potter laid eyes on me, there was hatred. I could not tell you why. Perhaps it was because I looked poor. A ruffled appearance that reflected my home situation. Maybe it was because, from that very moment, he realised that not everybody thought he was as fantastic as he thought he was. Lily had ignored him. A pretty girl had ignored him, and had barely even returned a greeting before returning her full attention to me. She never did give him the time of day.

The only friend she ever made from that group was Lupin. While I wasn't too ecstatic about that development, I could never begrudge her her other friendships. We were in different houses, and therefore couldn't help but become friends with other individuals too.

As I'm sure you're aware, I made an almost irreparable mistake in fifth year. I had already been having a bad day when they attacked me. My frustration and embarrassment levels were soaring, and I took it out on her. The weeks that followed were filled with my apologies. I wanted to explain things to her, but she wouldn't let me. James used these weeks to his advantage. He planted the seed, the thought, in everyone's mind. Neither Lily nor I were talking to anybody, and so therefore could not refute any of the claims that he was making. Lupin knew better. He knew Lily, and knew that she could never like someone like James. At that stage though, there was nothing that he could do. Being friends with them had isolated him from others. Besides Lily; and occasionally myself, no one else wanted to talk to him.

It was only during the Christmas break of our sixth year that Lily finally allowed me to talk to her. We had both gone home that Christmas, although for different reasons.

I had merely returned to remain close to her. I had ceased returning home during the holidays during second year; I did not wish to watch my mother slowly waste away. You see, there's a reason we are taught to control our magic so young. By controlling it, it allows us to hide effectively without harming ourselves. Muggles do not like things that they do not understand. Our magic is not something that can be explained.

Those that are not taught, grow up trying to hide the magic within them without the correct means. Magic is not supposed to be contained, and the consequences of trying are disastrous. In children, it creates an obscurus; something I am sure you have come across in your textbooks. In adults that have already learned to wield magic but are then forced to contain it due to circumstance, something different occurs. It is like a sickness, a darkness that festers and feeds off of its host. The host eventually dies, allowing the magic to disperse.

I had not realised how bad the situation had truly gotten at that stage. I had assumed that she still had a bit longer, that she still had a small amount of will to live. I was wrong, and she passed on Christmas day. I believe this is what encouraged Lily to finally talk to me. We had been friends for almost seven years; no matter the situation, she could not, not pay her condolences. I sat her down and explained everything. The full extent of the beatings and tricks from Potter that she had not been privy to. Every cutting word that she had not been within earshot to hear. I told her the truth about us so called "Death-Eaters. I explained Tom's real mission, not the one that Dumbledore had begun to spread. We weren't evil.

Any magic can be used for a dark purpose, even the most benign sounding of spells can cause harm. Albus had had all of the more powerful kinds of magic labelled dark. He did not want others to know of spells that could eventually draw away his power. Tom merely wanted us to extend our knowledge of magic, to learn and discover. What benefit is there to hide behind one man; to rely on the selfish protection of a single person, because you do not have the necessary knowledge needed to fight your own battles. We were attacking muggles, yes; but not the ones that were innocent. From wizards to muggles, we only went for those that had corrupted their souls. The rapists, the child murderers. What good comes from preaching about what a better world we can live in when the ones that should be acting turn their backs on the corruption and violence? A rot had set in. The ministry did not care what was happening behind the scenes; as long as they looked good to the public. They had their light saviour in Dumbledore, they did not question his actions.

When faced with all of the evidence, Lily sided with us. For her safety; so as not to alert Albus, we decided to keep our reconciliation a secret. Back at Hogwarts; while in the view of others, we pretended the other did not exist. In private, we grew closer as I began to train her. She wanted to fight, to be able to protect herself if she had too. She met Tom not too long after we became intimate. With everybody thinking that we were longer friends, Lily was seen as now firmly on the light side. It was the perfect time to strike. We all agreed that in her position she would be the ideal candidate for a spy. They trusted her, and therefore did not suspect her. As time went on, she formed deep bonds with all those that I called friends.

Lucius and others were placed within the ministry. They were spread out, with no known connections to one another so as to not cause suspicion. We needed to know their moves before they made them, to be able to dig deep to remove the rot of corruption.

As soon as Lily and I had graduated, we were married. She joined the Order after we returned from our honeymoon. Our forces knew not to harm her too seriously during the raids that we set up against the order. They gave her scrapes and scratches, nothing more. Everything was going well until we conceived you. We were ecstatic, we had been talking about starting a family for months. But we had forgotten about the far reaching bounds of magic. Although you were barely even a foetus yet, the levels of magic coming out of you were high. Miscarriages happen all the time; however, when the foetus emanates very high levels of magic, it prevents the body from being able to expel it. In these cases the birth of the child is always guaranteed, unless outside forces intercede later on. The moment such powerful levels are recorded so early during a pregnancy, the parents' names are magically transcribed in a ledger in St Mungos. A copy of the ledger is routinely sent to the department of records within the ministry. It was and is their way of keeping an eye on the population. This way children with powerful levels of magic could be monitored from the very beginning.

It was unfortunate timing. Albus had been told a prophecy only days before.

 _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to one who has thrice defied him, he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...he who can lead and control the dark. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..._

When Lily and I realised the danger we were in; we fled. In our hurry to hide, we were unable to create any form of communication with Tom. This is what ruined us. Had we only contacted him, I believe none of this would ever have happened. Our protection spells were strong, but eventually they started failing. I had gone out that night. I had hoped that with all the neighbourhoods teeming with life, I would not be noticed. It was a risk, but we were desperate to be able to try and get to Tom. I do not know how James convinced Lily to open the door; only that when she did, it beckoned the end of James's life. Albus had just needed James to be let into the house; for the magic protecting it to lower further, before he himself would be able to force his way inside. I am told that you still remember this memory of your mother, the flash of green when he killed her…"

Severus trailed off, his head hung towards his knees as his hands clutched at the sides of his face in angered anguish.

"We had just found out about your sister…and then all three of you were gone. When I returned, I was distracted in my devastation. Albus took this opportunity to obliviate me and place fake memories. It took four years for my mind to overpower the weakened spell. He never was exceptionally good at those spells.

I wanted to find you; I tried to find you, but every trail led to a dead end.

While we had been in hiding, our forces had become sparse. The order had been brutal during their raids. They killed without mercy, without questions. More than one Pureblood house was ended. With Hermione still so young and vulnerable, Tom decided to lay low; to act as if the rumours were true. We used the years to plot, to build our strength.

I took Lily's spot as spy. Albus believed that I was permanently obliviated, and therefore did not know of his treachery. It worked in our favour, pretending to be his little puppet. He never saw it coming, and now we'll destroy him just as he destroyed my family."

Hermione anxiously held her breath as Severus stopped talking. She wondered how Harry would react to what he had just been told.

"He will rot in the depths of hell for what he has done. He ripped my family apart and allowed me to be raised by abusive monsters. There will be no mercy…", Harry spat out.

She grinned at his words. This was only the beginning. Hermione's musings were cut short as the door magically appeared again, allowing two people to enter. Her eyes lighting up at their guests, she and Draco stood up before greeting them.

"Glad to see you made it Teddy. I expect everything went according to plan?"

Theo smirked, opening his mouth to reply before he was interrupted by the person standing next to him.

"If you mean did whatever the fuck you put in that injection that Theo stabbed me with, stop me from dying, then yes…yes it did."

"Eloquent as always", Severus remarked dryly.

Hermione laughed quietly before replying.

"You know I would hate it if I had to lose one of my best friends. Who else would I talk to then…Ginny."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I really do apologise for how long it has taken me to update. There's been so much drama in the past year that I've struggled to gather the inspiration to continue with any of my stories. I have been working through some serious emotions but I will try very hard to update at least once a month from now. This chapter will be more of a backstory.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it**

 **Chapter 10**

Ginny smirked at her before retorting smartly, "Oh Mione, you always have your little dragon over there to talk to, you hardly need me".

She chortled as Draco spluttered next to her.

"Oi Red, I'll have you know there's nothing little about me. Isn't there Mia?"

She flushed red at his comeback, the red deepening as everyone in the room laughed at her expense. Oh she was going to get him back for that one later. He didn't need to draw her into it to embarrass Ginny. The chuckles died down as Severus spoke lightly.

"I'd rather not hear about my godson's love-life if you wouldn't mind. Not only do I not need those images but I doubt your father would want to think too deeply on this princess. You might find yourself missing a few essential body parts if Tom happened to come across certain memories Draco".

Draco blanched next to her as Severus's words sunk into his brain. She grinned at Severus before sharing a knowing look with Ginny. That had put her mate in his place, however temporary. Even after growing up with her father his entire life, Draco was rightly petrified of Tom.

Hermione had been so preoccupied since Ginny and Theo had entered the room of requirement that she only now realised that Harry had yet to say a word. She found him still staring at Ginny in shock, his mouth hanging open. She thought about waiting for him to recover by himself before deciding that it was perhaps a better idea to hurry the situation along.

"Careful Harry, you don't want to catch flies in that mouth; no matter how much protein they might be worth".

His eyes met hers as his mouth slowly closed. He blinked owlishly at her before the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile. He barked out a short laugh before sitting back on the couch.

"I can always rely on you to bring me out of my head with your humour Hermione. Now while I'm sure everyone is enjoying shocking the living daylights out of me, I don't think I can handle any more surprises today. Please can you explain to me what is happening now that we are apparently relatively safe".

Hermione sighed deeply as she glanced around the room at the people that she considered as a part of her family. The time had finally come for the truth to come out and she didn't know how to explain the shit storm that had been the last 20 odd years. She caught Severus's eye and waited for him to nod encouragingly at her before beginning.

"You may as well all get comfortable. We all know how long this is going to take to explain, no matter how much I summarise".

She sunk deeper into the couch and Draco's arms as Ginny and Theo took a seat and Harry and Severus sat back in preparation.

"For the sake of our sanity, I am not going to explain all of the circumstances that have brought us all here today. Harry, you are the only one in this room that deserves an explanation. The rest of us already know this story better than anything.

It all started many years ago when a boy murdered a group of muggles for attacking and assaulting his only sister while she was in their family garden attempting to practice her magic. Dumbledore's father took the blame to shield his son from the consequences that that action would have caused. She was still a child, mentally and physically scarred by what those monsters had done to her. Her magic rebelled, and her body shut down. Her death furthered Albus's path into the dark.

Years later his jealousy overrode his love for Grindelwald and he turned on him so that he could keep the power for himself. He paraded himself as a saviour through the wizarding world while in reality Grindelwald's crazy ideals were the result of Dumbledore's convoluted imagination. None of it had been Grindelwald's idea; but he became the scapegoat. When my father was born, his magical signature was off the charts. We already told you how the ministry likes to keep an eye on records like that. Dumbledore had already ingrained himself in the ministry by this point and had made it a habit to keep an eye on the magical children register and the hall of prophecies down in the department of mysteries.

The Riddles and the Gaunts were both Pureblood families that lived on the outskirts of a muggle town. A romance between the children of both families blossomed without interference.

On the night my grandmother died, she was under a befuddlement and memory charm. My grandfather and her had gone into London that day and become separated while shopping. She had started going into labour and that was when Dumbledore decided to strike. She was alone and in pain, and he took her wand and cursed her. It was only luck that day that prevented Albus from finding my grandfather. Merope found her way into the muggle world and stumbled across the worst type of orphanage imaginable. She was confused and the memory charm prevented her from being able to try and find Tom. While he searched for her, Dumbledore was murdering their families back in their ancestral homes. Tom scoured the streets for her for hours before magic finally led him to her; but it was too late. She had just given birth and was fading fast. The staff had used invasive objects to try and remove the baby quicker but did not have the necessary experience to handle them properly. They hurt her; and by the time Tom had found her it was too late for magical interference. He found answers in her memories before she left this world.

My father never grew up in that orphanage. It was all a fabricated lie to keep him and my grandfather away from Dumbledore's influence. He pretended to be the poor orphan half-blood that Dumbledore was insisting he was while he and my grandfather plotted revenge in the background. Papa always had a thirst for knowledge; and that only grew stronger when Albus tried to limit his learning and banned material that was suddenly considered "dark". Once father had left Hogwarts, Dumbles no longer any control over him; and he didn't like that one bit. The stories began to get twisted to suit Albus's preference. Spells were dark and radicalists were Death Eaters that wanted to rape and kill muggles and the like. The so called Order was formed to protect the helpless and fight against the evil. They were a group of uninformed people that hung on Dumbledore's every word in search of praise and glory. While fathers forces only attacked those whose souls were already destroyed through rape and worse; the order attacked without discrimination. If they thought someone was a "Death Eater", they were tortured and killed without mercy. Papa was working on a plan when that Halloween arrived. After things went to shit everybody decided to lay low for a while; to rebuild numbers and strengthen any potential plans.

Every year that we've been at Hogwarts, Dumbledore has manipulated the situation to twist you into being his weapon. You are destined to help bring him down and he has tried his hardest to manipulate fates design. We have tried every year to bring this to an end; so many times that I still do not understand how our covers were never blown.

For now Harry; I believe that is enough, over the next several days we will all fill you in on our plan but I think you need some time to process this don't you?"

Hermione's voice trailed off as she watched Harry brace his elbows against his knees and stare blankly into the space between them. A handful of hours had passed since they had entered the room of requirement and she could only imagine the thoughts flying through his head right now. She found that she couldn't blame him for shutting down. It was a fucked up situation if she'd ever heard one; and she had known all of the details for years. Poor Harry had been dumped in the deep end and had had his entire life turned upside down in the span of a few hours. Hermione stood up before treading across the patterned carpet to kneel in front of one of her best friends. She slowly placed her hand on his bicep before drawing him forward into a tight hug. His arms clung to her tightly before relaxing as his body shut down in exhaustion. She manoeuvered him carefully into Severus's arms before rising to her feet once more. She addressed the others as she made her way back towards Draco.

"I think it's time for bed guys. It's been a long and emotional day and I don't know about you but I'm about ready to crash. We can discuss plans again tomorrow".

Goodnights drifted through the air as her and Draco travelled through the doorway that led to their room. She undressed on autopilot before allowing him to draw her into his arms underneath the covers. She sighed deeply as he gently stroked her hair.

"Think about it tomorrow Mia, right now just let me hold you and sleep", he whispered against the shell of her ear before kissing her drifting eyelids. Darkness surrounded her as she embraced the warmth and comfort of her mate.


End file.
